Erdoğan offered a sandwich at NATO summit: His response was 'I'm not that cheap'

The book titled 'My Watch: Managing NATO in a Time of War,' written by former NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, reveals the behind-the-scenes of diplomatic crises that occurred during his tenure.

The book details dialogues from meetings with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, divisions within NATO, and Turkey's role within the alliance.

According to details that emerged through a review of the book by Middle East Eye writer Ragıp Soylu, it is noted that while Stoltenberg frequently experienced disagreements with Turkey, he emphasized the country's strategic importance at every opportunity.

FIRST CRISIS: THE DOWNING OF THE RUSSIAN JET AND THE DIVISION WITHIN NATO

The book states that Stoltenberg's first major test with Turkey was the incident involving the Russian Su-24 fighter jet shot down in November 2015.

It is recalled that while NATO officially supported Turkey's territorial integrity at the time, Stoltenberg noted that there was a 'deep disagreement within the alliance.'

It was reported that Eastern European countries gave unconditional support to Turkey, while France and Italy opposed this stance, and Germany acted more cautiously.

It was stated that German officials argued that 'condemning a border violation is one thing, but justifying the downing of a plane for a 17-second violation is another.'

It was reported that following the incident, tensions escalated as Russia sent S-400 air defense systems and the Moskva cruiser to Syria, a situation Stoltenberg summarized with the reaction of then-German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier:

"What is happening? Has the world gone completely mad?"

UKRAINE TENSION AND TURKEY'S BAYRAKTAR SALES

The book also covers the disagreements within NATO regarding Ukraine.

It was noted that then-Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko expressed his disappointment that while Turkey sold Bayraktar drones directly to Kyiv in 2019, other NATO countries were reluctant to sell weapons.

"DO YOU LIKE CORN?"

Stoltenberg described President Erdoğan as a "knowledgeable, detail-oriented, and easy-to-communicate" leader, but also wrote that he was a "major challenge" for both himself and NATO.

Stoltenberg, who noted that the Presidential Palace in Ankara "gives a sense of power," stated that some meetings took place in an unusual atmosphere.

It was reported that when he expressed his "deep concerns" at a meeting regarding Turkey's operations in northern Syria, Erdoğan responded directly:

"The YPG is a terrorist organization. You have said this yourself. The fact that they fight against ISIS does not make them any less of a terrorist organization."

It was recounted that in the middle of this debate, Erdoğan asked, "Do you like corn?" and subsequently had corn on the cob and roasted chestnuts brought into the room.

It was noted that Erdoğan softened the mood by saying, "The protocol department hates this. Do you know the difference between the protocol department and the Taliban? It is possible to negotiate with the Taliban."

It was reported that in response to Stoltenberg's warning not to target civilians, Erdoğan used the following expression:

"We are killing terrorists. You are the ones hitting civilians in Raqqa and Mosul. No one objects to this."

Stoltenberg included the remark that "Erdoğan had made a valid point" regarding these words.

TRUMP, MACRON AND "IDEAL ENEMIES"

The book describes how Erdoğan maintained a cordial relationship with then-US President Donald Trump, while having a tense relationship with French President Emmanuel Macron.

It was noted that Trump showered praise on Erdoğan at a NATO meeting, saying,

"Erdoğan can say whatever he wants, there is no one who controls him. When he got 61 percent, I said 'Why don't you say 80 percent?' It sounds better,"

remarks that reportedly caused laughter in the room.

It was stated that relations with Erdoğan became even more strained following Macron's declaration that "NATO is experiencing brain death."

Stoltenberg described this situation by saying, "It was difficult for the leaders of two major NATO countries to become each other's ideal enemy."

THE 'I AM NOT THAT CHEAP' ANECDOTE

The most striking section in the book concerns the 2022 process, during which Turkey vetoed the NATO memberships of Sweden and Finland.

Stoltenberg recounted a long meeting he had with Erdoğan during this process as follows:

“My only concern was that he might get bored or hungry and leave the meeting. I asked, ‘Would you like anything? Coffee, cake, a sandwich?’ Erdoğan smiled and said, ‘I am not that cheap.’”